As an overweight child, Rebekah was teased, picked on and lonely. One day, she decided that would no longer be who she was.
Hear the 3 ingredients to her success, and how she dropped 125 pounds.
“Don’t dream it. Be it.”
Weight Gain Background and Contributing Factors
Rebekah has been overweight for as long as she can recall. Her family was overweight as well, and she personally never gave consideration to what she ate – she simply ate when she felt hungry.
“I was never educated on food and calories and nutrition or health of any type.”
She recalls, at 10 years old, being a size 18 and weighing 180 pounds. (81.8 kg)
How Being Overweight Impacted Rebekah’s Life
As a young woman, Rebekah had a difficult time finding clothing that fit. She wore adult women’s sizes in middle school, and then wore “Plus” sizes later in adulthood.
“In every way that every girl should grow up and have normal ‘girl’ life, I couldn’t.”
She was picked on, teased, and became numb to the insensitive remarks that joked about her sitting on classmates.
“I never got asked to a dance, or on a date, or anything like that.”
Rebekah had lost and gained weight over time, and even once dropped 40 pounds (18 kg) for a “Biggest Loser” competition at work, but then regained 50 pounds afterwards.
Rebekah’s peak weight was 312 pounds. (141.8 kg)
The Turning Point
Rebekah was a fan and member of the Reddit.com community. One day, she discovered the “/LoseIt” community there, a weight-loss support forum where people shared their struggles and victories.
She immersed herself in reading posts from people who had succeeded in losing weight. She heard many similarities to her own life and wished to herself that it could be her.
As she read more and more success stories, her thinking changed from wishing to:
It can be me. It WILL be me.”
Rebekah can pinpoint the exact day (January 14, 2013) and moment she experienced this shift in her thinking. She threw away the soft drink in her hand, called her doctor to make an appointment, and signed up with a local gym – all that same day.
Starting The Weight Loss Journey
Rebekah began with two gym workouts a week, consisting of both endurance/cardio work as well as strength training and low-impact cycling.
Her diet slowly transitioned from 3500-4000 calories down to 1600 a day. She ensured vegetables were included in meals, and learned to control carbohydrate intake at a moderate level.
Rebekah lost 80 pounds (36 kg) over the next 6 months.
Staying Motivated
Rebekah told others about her decision and goals, but shares that the response was lukewarm. Was she disappointed and deterred? No way.
She became even more fired up, and stuck to her plan with renewed determination.
Rebekah shares the three ingredients she feels were critical for her (and perhaps for your) success:
- Inspiration
- Motivation
- Determination
She particularly stresses the last one, and how it was necessary in moments when other people weren’t as supportive as she wished they were (or when co-workers brought in birthday cake).
What Rebekah Learned About Food, Exercise, and Herself
Rebekah is an authentic Southern U.S. Girl, and always loved her sweet tea. She shares that it was one of the most difficult things to give up, and at one point wouldn’t have believed she ever would.
It has now been over a year and a half since she drank any sweet tea.
“I have no desire to drink it [now]. After drinking so much water for the past year and a half, I cannot even think about putting something so sweet in my mouth… Sweets… I can’t eat them like I used to.”
That said, Rebekah emphasizes the importance of being honest with oneself about changes they absolutely cannot live with. If something cannot be completely eliminated, it can be controlled, reduced, and enjoyed in moderation. What’s most important is being willing to try.
“If you’re willing to try and just break down that wall, and give it a go, you just might surprise yourself and find out that your favorite thing isn’t really your favorite anymore.”
This was not the first time Rebekah had proven to herself that she could tackle a habit and make a life change for the better. She opens up about quitting smoking five years ago in a similar way.
“I just quit. I just put it down and said, ‘That’s not me anymore. That’s not who I am or who I want to be.’ “
Another unexpected discovery along this journey for Rebekah was discovering a love for dance. When increasing and expanding her activity choices, she found a local dance studio, tried it out, and discovered a whole new side of herself.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into. Before I knew it, I was taking ballet classes, and belly dance classes, and cabaret, and jazz, and hip hop… and hula! I finally found something that spoke to me, that I could express myself with, and it didn’t feel like a workout.”
These days, Rebekah enjoys berries and granola for breakfast, veggies and hummus or nuts for snacks, salads and sandwiches for lunch, and lean meats – like chicken – with veggies for dinner.
Rebekah’s Advice For Your Journey
- Start today. Don’t wait for tomorrow to start getting healthier, because “tomorrow could be too late.”
- Stay strong through the tough beginning. Changes can be difficult, but as new habits are established, it gets easier to stay disciplined.
- Shop the outer wall. In most grocery stores, the produce section, fresh meat section, and deli are all along the outer perimeter of the store.
- Don’t obsess over the number on the scale. Fluctuations from one day to the next, and same-day, are normal. Focus more on how you feel.
Resources Discussed In This Podcast
- /LoseIt – weight loss support community on Reddit.com
- MyFitnessPal – online food tracking and support community
On Rebekah’s Workout Playlist
Contacting Rebekah
When Rebekah isn’t performing and exploring creative outlets, she can be found cheering on others’ progress on Reddit. Send her a Reddit message here or find her at any of these profiles:
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